The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-26
Some Important Measures that Will Come Up
for ideration-bificultv of Distin-
gushing Ministers and Laymen.
Southern Presbyterians Have Hot Talk
Over the Church Unity Question.
Proceedings of the Baptist Meetings at Mime
apolis-Cumberland Presbyterians Ready
to Adjourn-Religious Notes.
NORTHERN PREsBYTE RIANS.

eral Assembly Omaha.
| Correspondence of the Indians polls Journal.
OMAHA, Neb., May % The General Assemb-
| iy of the Presby yter;an Church is attracting q
| great deal of attention. There over six
| hundred delegates present. the assembly being
made up of the leading ministers and laymen Of
| the church, from New England to the Paci6
The moderator is the venerable Joseph T.
Smith, D. D., of Baltimore who presides with q
grace and dignity that | have seldom seen
equaled. He is fine parliamen tartan, and de-,
cides all questions promptly and with force and
decision. Notwithstanding his great executive
ability, he is the mildest-mannered man imagin-
able. In looks he resembles Father Jameson, Of
indianapolis, very much, though a somewhat
younger By the way. speaking of Father
Jameson. want to say that the most aft ectinf
and touching hymn ever listened to in my Ii f.
the hymn sung by him. at the funeral o.
Major Gordon, few weeks ago.
There are many men here who are noted in
the church and outside of it-big men-bg In
brain and big in body. Among the best known
/ might mention Drs. Marquis. of St Louis:
Breed, of Chicago; Cameron, of Princeton; Geo.
P. Hays. of Cincinnati; Henry and Rice. of Phil
adelphia; Willetts. of Louisville and many 9th
ers. The laymen who attract the most attention
are the venerable General Milroy, now of Wash
ington Territory; Genera! Shields. of Missouri
Judge Wilson. of Philadelphia Colonel Baldwin,
of Pittsburg. and Warner Van Nordon, the
banker, of New York CITY, Mr.. Eb. Sharpe is
here delegate from Montana
Dr. Geo. p Hays, of Cincinnati. is the Star
preacher of the assembly--in the op inion of the
laymen and general public, though there are al
least three hundred clereynen hero who evi
IDENTIFY doubt that proposition, and would Ger
tainly vote to expel me from the privileges Of
the floor If they knew ! advanced 1t. woult
certainly be into outer darkness if it should
get out that had made such a statement; there's
fore. please consider it as taken back.
The clerical representative OF the Indanapolf
presbytery is the Rev. Geo. w. Bainum, OF
Greencastle He is able and useful membsf
inquiries have been made of about Drs Me-
Leod, Edson, Rondthsler and Ha:nes, many
members of the assembly taking it for granted
that one Of them, at least, ought to be here.
They all have many friends here, a. have all thl
Presbyterian clergyman of Indianapolis
Many measures of Importance to the Presoy,
terian Church have already been presented and
passed upon notably the resolution favorine
union with the Southern P-esbyterans, whichs
after full discussion, passed without dissents
ing vote This important measure, passing as II
did by a rising vote-every member of the
sembiy standing on his feet TO emphasize his
hearty concurrence in the resolution-seems MOI
to have been fully appreciated by the assembly
OF Southern Presbyterians. low in session at St.
Louis, as it appears from the dispatches that q
similar measure ia that assembly has been de<
feated All, well! 1t seems probable that Aor4
ham will have TO gather a whole lot of Presbyr
terian folks into his bosom. before we can havS
perfect peace and harmony in our beloved churc1
here earth.
The temperance question will scut fgureA
in the assembly. as it always does in convene
tions whether they be conventions OF church, s,n,
gates will vote for a resolution pledging the
church in favor of prohibition, and against any
tax or license of any kind. whether high or low;
e. hah fhotf hos dad ms
bers will hold the assembly level" on the yexed
question. Certainly all good Presbyterians are
in favor of temperance and would, believe. be
in favor of prohibition if it could be brought
about: but as it can never be accomplished by
the passage of resolutions it seems to me TO ba
the wise course to favor the control or the evil
of intemperance as far possible by high taxa
tion-the higher the better. The "cranks" in
the assembly the question are mostly found
among the clergymen
AS to tho personnel of the assembly I am
minded of story current in my fathers family
from time way back IN the early DAYS OF ths
settling of New England: One OF the old Pur1s
tans of Connecticut kept Thanksgiving as il
ought to be kept After gathering his family
together on Thanksgiving eve. his habit was fd
return thanks for all the blessings of the year,
seratim. mentioning everything. item by item
On one occasion. the story goes, after men
tioning great many things for which he was
thankful, among others for the bountiful crop
.sin the three-cornered meadow behind the barn.
and for the shealthy twin calves from the
brindle cow" he proceeded to thank the LORD
that MARY had married clergyman" during
the past year. which good thing for
yonng woman to do, and that 'while Sarah had
not married clergyman. vet she had married q
deacon" and that many persons were of the
opinion that "to marry a deacon was even better
than marry a clergyman, as deacons were
more thrifty than clergymen." The distinction
made by the old gentleman in his
prayer seems to still hold good, the
s'deacons' the General Assembly appear TO
be a rather more thrifty" set than the clergy
man. although they haven't much to say in the
assembly However, there is not SO much diff.
ference in their appearance after all. many OF
the layrnen having been introduced by the COM
mittee arrangements ministers. A vener-
able doctor of divinity from Pennsylvania hap
pened to be standing cear when the lay member
from his prssbytery was introduced by mem
ber of the committee to me as minister and
remarked that people must be lawfully near
sighted" il tney couldn't tell the difference ION
sight" between a clergyman and layman, and
in less than half minute asked another layman
where he stationed. and what congregation
he had charge of. f. W. s.
Yesterdays Proceedings.
To the Western Associated Press.
OMAHA May 25.-In the Presbyterian assem-
bly,, this morning, the report of the committee OF
the board of foreign missions was read by Dr..